Breaking the Boy
by Prinzessin
Summary: Too bad the only one who realizes John is breaking dies before she can help him. The rest are too busy being angry to see what's going on.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Breaking the Boy

Author: Prinzessin Robin Elizabeth

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, they aren't mine. They belong to Marvel, Bryan Singer and whoever else can legally lay claim to 'em. 

Summary: Too bad the only one who realizes John is breaking dies before she can help him. The rest are too busy being angry to see what's going on. 

A/N: I was in a weird mood, so I came up with this. Set during X2. I may have changed a thing or three.

Bobby and Rogue sit by the fire, whispering and giggling. Although John sits away from them, his back to them, he can feel Rogue staring daggers into his back. 

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Damn her, he thought, playing with the small fireball in his hands. He needed something to focus on, something to keep his mind somewhat occupied from the darkness closing in around him. He looked off into the distance, seeing Magneto and Mystique conferring among themselves. He wanted to go over there and join them, to have someone to talk to, but he didn't move. He didn't dare. 

He felt her staring at him again. Suddenly, he turned, glaring daggers back at her. With an outstretched hand, the fire came to him, enveloping him in flames. Bobby and Rogue jumped to their feet, her taking a step back, him taking a step forward. Just as quickly as he took the fire, he extinguished it. Rogue stormed off, toward the jet where Logan and Jean were talking.

John resumed his original seat, taking his lighter out. Opening it, he stared into the dancing flame, not making it do anything. A hand on his shoulder let him know that he wasn't alone. John flipped his lighter shut, then looked to the hand. Bobby. He glanced up, seeing a mix of concern and anger in Bobby's blue eyes.

"What did you do that for?" Bobby asked, sitting next to John.

"If she has something to say, she can say it to my face. I was tired of her glaring at me."

"She wasn't…"

"Shove it, Bobby. Just because I can't see it doesn't mean I can't feel it. I knew if I took the fire away, she'd go away. She probably ran to her precious Logan to tell him how the mean and evil Pyro took the fire away."

"Why are you like that?"

"Like what?"

"That. Cold."

"Newsflash. Not everyone has the happy suburban home life. Not everyone has two parents, a sibling and a pet. Hell, I never even got to have a God damned goldfish. This," John said, pointing to his head, "is what kept me alive."

"It also keeps you alone."

John didn't watch Bobby walk away. He didn't need to. He'd seen it too many times before. People wanting to save St. John Allerdyce only to give up and leave. And to think he was starting to invest his heart.

"Not anymore," he muttered, flicking the lighter open. 

Through the dancing flame, he could see Magneto and Mystique watching him. Pretending not to notice, he took a quick glance over his left shoulder, then threw a stream of fire back to where the ashes from the old one lay. He timed it just right, just as Bobby and Rogue were returning to where they were sitting. The flames stopped only inches short of Rogue's feet.

John didn't need to turn around to know the looks Rogue was giving him. The only look he cared about was the one he secretly noticed on Magneto's watching face. Pleasure, pride. John finally got the reaction he wanted.

"When are you gonna grow up?" he heard Rogue asked.

"When are you gonna give up?" 

John stood, going to the fire he created. He noticed that Rogue was shivering, Bobby's arms wrapped around her to help warm her. John laid on the ground, opposite the fire from them. He was on his side, facing the fire, one hand supporting his hand, the other weaving in the flames. 

Flames. Nothing to bother him now. He was mesmerized by the flames that he controlled. He vaguely heard movement behind him, but ignored it. For the first time in a long time, he felt almost peaceful and content. He was determined to enjoy it while it lasted, since he knew it was going to be all too brief. He felt hands grab his arm, yanking it from the fire. He was forced onto his back, staring up wide eyed to Logan, who was glaring down at him.


	2. Chapter 2

Breaking the Boy

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Same disclaimers as before.

Part 2

Before Logan could say anything, John rolled back onto his side. His hand was again in the fire, and out almost immediately, with a flickering fireball in his hand. He rolled onto his back, seeing that Logan hadn't moved and was still staring at him.

"You're more trouble than you're worth," the grizzly older man snapped.

"If you're going to insult me, try to be more original. I've heard that too many times before. The only thing that changes in the face," John replied, never taking his eyes off the fireball.

Logan reached down and John knew his hands were coming straight for his throat. John suddenly sat up, engulfing himself in the flames. To get him now, Logan would have to endure a lot of pain.

"Logan, what do you think you're doing?" Jean exclaimed, using her telekinetic abilities to yank Logan a few feet away from John.

"Don't tell me you're protecting him, Jean," Logan said, exasperated.

"I don't need to ask what your intentions were when you were going for his throat," Jean said pointedly.

John shifted the fire that had him engulfed to the already-made campfire, which surged with heat and height. Jean turned to look at John, who was on his feet and dusting himself off.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking down.

"You do realize he could've gotten Bobby and Rogue killed back there," Logan shot back. "The kid's out of control."

"One, I'm not a kid. Two, I'm right here, so stop talking about me like I'm not," John said, stepping between Jean and Logan.

Logan and John entered into a type of standoff. Logan's ademantium claws were extended, John held a hand to the fire, ready to use it if necessary.

Jean stepped between the two, looking both in the eye. Jean could only feel anger radiating from Logan. But she gasped from what she felt from John. Instead of staying, John turned away and stormed off. As he passed Bobby and Rogue, shoulder-checking the blond.

"Get used to the cold," he whispered in Rogue's ear. "What I create, I can also take away."

Darkness quickly set in as John extinguished the campfire for the second time. Magneto, Mystique, Storm, Nightcrawler, Logan, Jean, Bobby and Rogue gathered in the X-jet for warmth and light. Only Jean vocalized concern for John.

"Let him be," Storm said after Jean announced she was going to look for him.

"If Rogue was the one to walk off, no one would say let her be. We'd all be out looking for her. I know a little about what he's feeling, what's in his head," Jean replied from the top of the ramp, her gaze falling on Rogue, "and so do you."

Rogue simply looked away, edging a little closer to Bobby. Everyone watched Jean walk down the ramp with a flashlight to light the way. She used her telepathy to guide her to where John was hiding. It didn't take her long to find him, he wasn't too far away. She shut off her flashlight as she approached, using the light from his fire to light her way.

She sat down next to fire, facing John. His only movement was to look away. She touched his chin, turning his head to face her. She was almost shocked to see the sadness in his eyes.

"They were going to shoot us anyway," was all he said, turning to stare into the small fire. "So I got a little carried away, it's not like Wolverine never did."

Although she wanted to say something, she couldn't. She couldn't argue with the fact he gave her.

"C'mon John, we should get back to the jet. We need to rest for tomorrow."

John obliged, the first to his feet. He extended a hand to Jean, who promptly took it. She switched the flashlight on, and when she saw John put the fire out, she led the way back to the jet. Once both were inside, she pulled the ramp up. He avoided the glaring eyes of Rogue and Bobby, settling away from them, facing the wall.

He broke a cardinal rule of survival. Never face the wall. Keep your back to the wall. Facing the wall isn't safe. But he was so tired, he didn't care. In the morning, preparations were made to head out. John, Bobby and Rogue were left in the jet, told to stay put. As Bobby and Rogue watched the team, plus Magneto and Mystique leave, John never took his eyes off of Jean. His protector was leaving, he'd be alone with Bobby and Rogue. 

As they left, John said suddenly to the couple, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."

John went off, sitting by the open ramp, staring into the flame from his lighter. Bobby and Rogue could only stare at him, wondering what he meant.


End file.
